Red Beach(Kokkini Paralia)

Located in the southwestern part of the Greek island of Santorini, Red Beach – also called Kokkini Paralia and Kokkini Beach – is a popular beach with brownish-red colored sand, a few large rocks, many red and black pebbles, and nearby red colored oceanfront cliffs.  This beach has been listed as one of the best beaches in Santorini by Conde Nast Traveller and Lonely Planet in 2024.  In addition, it was listed as one of the world’s six-most beautiful beaches by Travel+Leisure magazine in 2024.  In addition, Elle Decor magazine also listed this beach as one of the best beaches in Greece, and it is also a favorite of Randall Kaplan, the world’s foremost beach expert who is known as Mr. Beach.

Red Beach Greece does not have lifeguards or any other amenities except a nearby observation area and rental facilities for beach chairs, beach umbrellas, and sun loungers, so please plan accordingly.

Red Beach Santorini offers many fun activities including sunbathing, beachcombing, fishing, swimming, paddleboarding, boating, jet-skiing, water-skiing, parasailing, and snorkeling, scuba diving, wakeboarding, kayaking, canoeing, and wildlife watching.  

This Akrotiri Red Beach is ideal for less-experienced swimmers because the clear water here is known to have gentle waves.  Snorkelers and scuba divers also visit this beach to explore its vibrant nearby marine biodiversity and underwater rock formations.  If you are planning to swim, snorkel, or canoe here, we recommend being careful because the considerably deep water here can have unpredictable rip currents.  We also recommend wearing water shoes while visiting here because the rocks along the shoreline also make water activities difficult.   

If you like taking pictures with beautiful views, Red Beach Kokkini Paralia offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the Aegean Sea and the southern Santorini shoreline – the Red Beach sunset is particularly excellent.

If you want to explore another popular beach in Santorini, White Beach is another beautiful beach that has marvelous white-colored cliffs.

Kokkini Beach Santorini does not offer wheelchair access to visitors with disabilities, so please plan accordingly.

Getting to Red Beach is easy – this beach is easily accessible from the nearby village of Akrotiri.  There are street signs near Red Beach that offer directions for it.  There is a small free parking lot for this beach, which is located on the cliff top area above it.  Once you park here, you need to walk down to the beach through a steep, narrow, and rugged access trail – please visit this beach wearing sturdy shoes instead of flip flops because of its rugged trail. 

If you want to travel by bus, you can get a bus to Red Beach from the local capital city of Fira – you can get a bus at Fira’s main bus depot and this bus will drop you off at a bus stand near the beach.  You can easily walk to Red Beach from the bus stand.  

If you want to travel by boat, you can also get a boat to this beach from the village of Akrotiri – one of the boat operators offering tours to Red Beach is Boats to Red Beach, White Beach and Black Beach.  You can visit their Facebook page for more information about the boat tour prices and timings. 

We recommend visiting this beach early in summer because it can get crowded.  Please also note that parts of the beach are prohibited to public access because the nearby cliffs are unstable and are prone to landslides.

The beach received its famous brownish red sand, black pebbles, and red pebbles due to volcanic activity from a nearby volcanic crater – the volcanic activity resulted in the formation of iron oxide-rich red and black volcanic rocks.  These rocks naturally weathered down into red sand, which was gradually deposited onto the beach.

There are many attractions near Red Beach within a 20-minute-drive.  The archaeological site of Akrotiri is a Bronze Age settlement belonging to the Cycladic Culture and the Minoan Civilization.  This site has interesting antiques and wall paintings and you can explore this site using walkways.  The modern village of Akrotiri is another attraction that has many beautiful small houses and shops – it also has many historical sites near it including remnants of a Medieval Venetian fortification, a lighthouse, and a chapel.  This village also offers amazing views of the Santorini shoreline.  Lost Atlantis Experience – Interactive Museum uses unique educational techniques including 3D holograms, dioramas, and holographs to offer interesting information about Greek history, philosophy, and mythology – it also offers videos on the geographic evolution of Santorini and a fun 9D show.  Venetian Castle of Emporio is a castle that was built by the Venetian rulers of Santorini and there are many historic structures within its premises including the Church of Panagia Mesiani and a smaller church of Saint Theodosia.  If you are looking for another attraction near the beach, Venetsanos Winery is a winery that was built in 1947 – you can explore this winery through guided tours, which offers interesting information on wine making techniques and the history of wine making.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Red Beach.  Red Beach Snack Bar is a small restaurant near the beach that offers delicious dishes including kebabs, sandwiches, gyros, and desserts.  The Cave of Nikolas is a popular restaurant that is known for serving amazing local seafood and it also offers a variety of other dishes including lamb, risotto, pork, chicken, pasta, and moussaka.  Misteli Restaurant has a rustic decor inspired by Ancient Greece – in addition, it also serves many excellent locally inspired dishes including meatballs, pork steak, chicken breast, lamb, and risotto.  The Dolphins is another popular restaurant that is known for serving seafood including lobster spaghetti, grilled swordfish, and calamari – it also offers great local dishes.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Peirasmos offers a variety of outstanding dishes including salads, pita bread, grilled meats, burgers, and local traditional Greek dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Red Beach, there are many great nearby options.  The 5-Star Astarte Suites offers many amenities including a restaurant, a terrace, an infinity pool, a hot tub, car rental facilities, and a poolside bar.  Another great upscale hotel is Kalestesia Suites that offers many amenities including a game room, a patio, a pool, a restaurant, and a bar.  The 4-Star Maison Des Lys offers an adults’ pool, a kids’ pool, a hot tub, a bar, a lounge, car rental services, and a restaurant.  A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Apanemo that offers many amenities including a hot tub, a kids’ pool, a restaurant, and a multi-level infinity pool.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Caldera Romantica offers many amenities including a pool, a bar, a restaurant, car rental services, and complimentary breakfast.